Centrifugal compressors typically include a compressor housing assembly to house a compressor wheel that can direct fluid to a diffuser and, subsequently, to a volute. In such an arrangement, a compressor housing assembly may include a unitary component that includes one or more surfaces that define at least a portion of the diffuser and one or more surfaces that define at least a portion of the volute. As an example, a compressor housing assembly may include a plate that attaches to a unitary component cast via a casting process such as sand casting. In such an example, the unitary component may be cast by introducing molten alloy about a removable sand core to form a volute wall as well as a diffuser wall where, upon assembly, an upper surface of the plate acts to enclose the volute and to form the diffuser section.
As another example, a compressor housing assembly may include a plate and one or more components formed via a die-casting process. In such an arrangement, a volute may still be enclosed by the plate, but defined by more than one component due to processing constraints associated with die-casting. For example, while sand casting may provide for a unitary component with a volute wall having a circular cross-section due to removability of sand, die-casting benefits from reusable die pieces that are positionable to form a mold cavity for receipt of molten alloy and positionable for removal of a die-cast component formed by the alloy.
Various technologies described herein pertain to compressor housing assemblies that can include, for example, a die-cast component and an insert that can define a volute in conjunction with the die-cast component.